


Duscur Bear Stew

by Maerissa



Series: Fódlan Cookbook [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cooking, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 14:23:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21375559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maerissa/pseuds/Maerissa
Summary: After the usual afternoon of sparring, Caspar comes home to his housemate Ashe's cooking.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: Fódlan Cookbook [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570030
Comments: 1
Kudos: 64





	Duscur Bear Stew

“I’m hooome!”

Caspar’s yell and the door slam that followed it had used to catch Ashe by surprise every time, but after a while of getting used to it (and of Caspar’s unrelenting consistency at door-slamming) the comfort of knowing he was back had started drowning out his housemate’s loudness.

“Welcome back!” Ashe leaned back from the kitchen counter to get a better view of the doorway. “Ah, is Linhardt not with you?”

“Nah, he said he wanted to pass by the library on the way. Sooo we’re probably not seeing him again tonight.”

Ashe chuckled. He wasn’t looking forward to the possibility of having to go out and collect a dozing Linhardt from the library when they closed for the night, but he’d never say no to anything that gave him an evening with just him and Caspar.

“How was training?”

“Same as usual,” Caspar casually replied. “Oh, and Catherine says hi.”

Ashe raised his eyebrows, but kept his gaze on the cast-iron pot bubbling in front of him. “She’s still in town? I would’ve expected her to have been called off to some new daring mission by now.”

“Yeah, I’m sure people are lining up to be helped by Thunderbr-_ whoa! _ That smells _ amazing_!” Caspar had stepped into the kitchen, and his eyes widened as soon as the smell of Ashe’s cooking reached him. “I’m barely inside and my mouth’s already watering!”

“Aw, thanks,” Ashe responded sheepishly. It’s not that he wasn’t confident in his cooking, but getting direct compliments - especially from Caspar - still caught him off guard sometimes. “It’s a new recipe, but I think it’ll turn out alright!”

“Niice. Something Dedue taught you?”

Ashe looked over at Caspar in surprise. “...It is, actually! How’d you know?”

“Heh, I’ve seen bear meat once or twice in my life. I know a Duscur stew when I see one,” Caspar smirked, incredibly pleased that his totally wild guess had hit the mark.

“I managed to get the price down a fair bit on these root vegetables too, so we’ve got a bit more saved up for next market trip.”

“Aw yeah, that’s my Ashe!” Caspar gave him a firm pat on the back, sending a rush of energy through Ashe’s body. He may have gotten used to the loud entrances, but Caspar casually touching him had definitely not become easier to handle.

Caspar’s brow suddenly furrowed slightly. “Not from that creep at the market though, right?”

“You mean the Northern merchant?” Ashe sighed. “No, I’m pretty sure none of us are allowed to shop there anymore after last time.”

The creases in Caspar’s forehead deepened. “Good! I hope he goes out of business too, while we’re at it. Did you _ see _ how he tried to scam the poor girl in front of us? I mean, come on, 50 gold for some tomatoes?”

“...Yes, but you didn’t need to punch him to-” Ashe bit his tongue and smiled. “Nevermind. The ones I got today looked fresher than his vegetables did anyway.”

“Nice, nice.” Caspar threw his coat onto a chair and stood himself right next to Ashe. “Want me to help with anything? Should I set the table?”

“Ah, that’s fine, I’ll take care of that. You could go feed Kyphon, though.” Ashe pulled a satchel of dried fish from the shelf above him and handed it to Caspar. “Inferno--” 

He twitched slightly, like he did every time he called Inferno, and silently vowed, as usual, that this was the last time Caspar was ever allowed to name anything in their house. _ Naming the Nordsalat plant ‘Axemaster’ should have been the last straw_, he couldn’t help but think to himself. 

“--and the others probably aren’t hungry yet, but Kyphon’s been walking in and out of the kitchen ever since the stew started simmering.”

“Ha, you’re such an amazing cook that even legendary knights want a bite, huh?” Caspar grinned and put his hand on Ashe’s shoulder, and Ashe’s mind suddenly blanked. No, he was definitely not getting used to this.

He wasn’t always like this, but something about Linhardt not being around made it even more apparent. The wishful thoughts that living with Caspar had made him so good at suppressing started bouncing around in his head again. If living in the same house - sleeping in the same room - could only mean as much to Caspar as it did to him, if Caspar would only realize what was going through Ashe’s mind whenever he called the cats “our kids” or “the babies”, if he’d only understand what he was doing to Ashe whenever he touched him like this... 

For a moment, Ashe allowed himself to indulge in the thought of it really being just the two of them, of that meaning what Ashe wanted it to mean, until an abrupt meow brought him back to reality.

“Go feed the cat already,” Ashe replied, hiding his blushing face in the steam from the stew pot.

“I gotcha, I gotcha.” Caspar turned around and crouched down in front of the cat who’d snuck up to him. “Hey there! Boy, you really are hungry, huh? I bet even Loog couldn’t match your appetite...”

Ashe couldn’t deny his guilt at hoping that their arrangement could ever become what he really, selfishly wanted it to. _But even then_, he thought as he stirred the stew in front of him, neither guilt nor wishful thinking could stop him from feeling more than content with what he already had.


End file.
